Forests cover over 1/3 of the landmass of our planet and are an essential part of life on Earth. They also play a vital role in the oxygen cycle, taking in carbon dioxide and providing us with oxygen. Thanks to Forests, we have tools, homes, job opportunities, clean air, and much more. International Day of Forests, which takes place on Thursday, March 21st, 2024, was created to recognize the importance they play in our lives and protect them at all costs.

Because, unfortunately, our forests are suffering. Since 2010, the net loss in forests globally has been 4.8 million hectares per year. Besides losing them due to harvesting and creating new businesses, they are also being harmed by our waste streams, with one of the main ones being electronic waste (e-waste).

International Day of Forests serves as a reminder of the critical role forests play in sustaining life on Earth. Sometimes we can take our forests for granted, even though, without them, we would not have good livelihoods. It’s the little things as well that can severely impact our environment. Simple everyday things such as carbon emissions, not recycling, or consuming too much energy.

The value of this day is to serve as a friendly reminder and educate those around us on how to take better care of the environment. Because even though some tasks may seem small or insignificant, they add up and cause environmental degradation. This day aims to raise awareness about the value of forests and promote actions to protect, conserve, and sustainably manage these vital ecosystems.

E-waste, or electronic waste, poses significant threats to forest ecosystems in various ways:

1. Deforestation

The mining of precious metals and minerals used in electronic devices often leads to deforestation. Trees are cleared to get these resources, hurting ecosystems and leading to loss of homes for countless plant and animal species.

Per year, deforestation causes around $2 trillion to $4.5 trillion in biodiversity losses each year. Here’s another shocking fact, between 1990 and 2020, the world lost 4.2% of its tree cover. By 2030, it is projected that only 10% of the world’s rainforests may remain.

Because, unfortunately, our forests are suffering. Since 2010, the net loss in forests globally has been 4.8 million hectares per year. Besides losing them due to harvesting and creating new businesses, they are also being harmed by our waste streams, with one of the main ones being electronic waste (e-waste).

2. Soil Contamination

Improper disposal of e-waste releases toxic chemicals and heavy metals into the soil. These pollutants can accumulate over time, contaminating the soil and affecting the growth of plants and trees.

There have been many studies showing heavy metal pollution of soil. This is from production, sales, repair, or improper disposal. According to the National Library of Medicine, the soil of an e-waste recycling site contained 957 mg/kg Sn, 2850 mg/kg Pb, 4.6 mg/kg, and many other harmful chemicals in Bangalore. This is just one place out of many, other areas such as Africa have very high reports of e-waste chemicals in their soil due to improper recycling.

3. Water Pollution

E-waste can contaminate water sources in and around forests. When electronic devices are disposed of improperly, toxic substances such as lead, mercury, and cadmium can leach into nearby water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds, or other streams This endangers aquatic life and compromises water quality.

4. Habitat Destruction

E-waste dumping sites and unregulated electronics recycling practices create a threat to these habitats. As electronic waste accumulates, it disrupts natural ecosystems and threatens the survival of indigenous flora and fauna.

As mentioned before, if e-waste can leak into the soil or water, it can easily disrupt the ecosystem of aquatic life. Animals that depend on forests would be indirectly affected because, to create our electronics, forests are destroyed.

To protect forests from e-waste harm, it’s important to: